Air-ship.



PATBNTED JUNE 2, 1908. S. LAKE.

AIR SHIP.

APPLIOATION FILED DEO.20.1907.

8 BHEETE-eBHBET 1.

in vents:

No. 889,693. PATENTED JUNE 2, 190a.

s. LAKE.

AIR SHIP.

PPPP IOATION FILED D30. 20. 1901.

PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908.

a SHEETS-SHEET a.

II-Ill al S. LAKE.

AIR SHIP.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.20,1907.

No. 889,693. PATENTED JUNE 2, 190a.

s. LAKE.

AIR SHIP.

APPLIOATIOH rum: 1120.20.1001. a annnraqmnnr a. 1! III 57 :3 n I win PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908a S. LAKE.

AIR SHIP. APPLICATION FILED 1120.20.1907.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 1i PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908.

S. LAKE.

AIR SHIP.

APPLIUATION FILED DBO M1907.

8 SHEETSSHEET 8.

ammonia;

dfz'iwan 132226,

Gum;

' ing condition. .which will readily adjust-itself to face the SIMON LAKE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

AIR-SHIP.

To aitwhom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, 'SIMONLAKE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bridgeort, in the county of Fairfield and State of lonnecticut, temporarily residing in London,

England, have invented a certainnew and it useful Improvement. in Air-Ships, of which the followlng is a specification.

The Objects ofth1s'invention"are, to pro vide an air-ship of great stability, which will permit of safe and easy descents in case of failure of its ropelling or steering mechanisms, and wit which ascents may be made from an inclosed or restricted area, and

which is also well adapted to combat the infinances of the winds or air currents when suddenly contacting therewith in rising above the wind barriers; and also, to provide a cushioning and weight measuring device adapted for the combined purpose of relieving theshi of sudden jars or shocks should -it come vio entlinto contact with the earth" when making a anding, and of serving as an indicator by which the operators are enabled to ascertain and regulate the proper launch- Also, to provide an air ship wind when on the ground, or when making a lariding, or when navigating in the air, unless the propulsive power is o'f-sufficient strength to navigate against the wind or with the wind 'at a greater velocity than the speed 1 of the air ship, so that when making a landing-the ship will retainits position, which last is a condltion not commonly attainable with the ordinary balloons or dirigible air-. ships possessing suflicient 1 buoyancy to ,lift

the entire structure.

With these briefly stated objects in view, the invention comprises an upper buoyant section and a lower section carried by the buoyant section, the said buoyant section comprising a buoyant float or floats carrying one or more aeroplanes'of sufficiently large area to sustain the weight of the said-lower section whenthe upper section is inclined from a horizontal position and propelled at a sufficient velocity to cause the passing currents of airtoimplnge against the aeroplanes and keep the entire structure afloat, thereby permitting of navigationwhile inthe air, and preventing-ca too rapid. descent should the propelling ii nechanism or steering' devices get outofgorderc This upper section is not intendediihowever, to be of sufficient capacity to float the entire structure, but

I Specification of Letters Batent.

Application filed Dece'mber 20, 1907. SeriaINo. 407,844.

, elevation;

Patented June-2, 1908.

only to sustain .itself and to float above the lower-section whose elevation is caused by apropeller or fan which is operated by a motor carried by the lower section and which, when set in motion, will enable the entire structure to rise-and-be capable ofnavbiga tiem through the air. Besides the motor for operating the propeller, the said lower section is also intendedfor carrying the "crew and the "necessary mechanism for operating the rudders to direct the ship in its course. The said lower section also carries the cushioning andweight measuring devices. The lower section is preferably constructed in the shape of a boat, which will'float upon the surface of the water and thereby provide safety for the crew should the pro elling mechanism get out of order and the sliip carried by the wind out of its'course and a descent made upon a body of water.

The invention also comprises certain details of construction, combination and arrangement' of parts as will be hereinafter described and; claimed.

The terms aeroplanes and planes are herein used interchangeably to indicate one and the same thing, namely, thedevices' 'H, H, H

In the accompanying drawings, illustrat ing the invention, 1n the several -which like parts, are similarly designated, Fi ure 1 is a perspective view of my airshlp. Fig. 2 a top plan view of the same, with one corner broken away. Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section drawn through the upper or buoyant ortion of the ship and illustrating the prope er frame carried thereby and the lower or car section'in Fig. 4 is a detail elevation illustrating a modified 'arrangeinentof anchoring the ship when on thesurface. Fig. 5 is a vertical'cross section on a larger scale, drawn on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 illustrating the propeller in a vertical position, Fig. 6 is a side view of the frame for supporting the propeller. Fig, 7 is a detail section drawn on the line 77 of Fig. 5. 'Fig. 8 is a detail section drawn on a larger scale, through one end of the propeller shaft. Fig. 9 is a vertical longitudinal section drawn through one of PATENT OFFICE.

its

ures of the-floats of theupper section and illustratof the floats drawn on a lar er scale. Fig. 11

,is a cross sectional view rawn on the line ement of the brace wires and the propeller.

s'ectionof a portion of the car, of the ship 11'1l of Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a detail section on a larger scale of a port-ion of one of the ribs of the floats. Fig. 13 is a vertical longitudinal section drawnthrough the lower or carsection of the ship. Fig. 14 is a transverse section drawn on the line 14'--14 of Fig. 13. Fig. 15 is a transverse section drawn ,on the line 1515 of Fig. 13. Fig. 16 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the arrangement of belts for operating the proellerj Fig. 17 is a horizontal section, on a arger scale, drawn through one of the triinnions of the propellerframe and illu'strating the arrangement of guide pulleys. Fig. 13 is a detail section drawn on the line IS--18 of Fig. 17. Fig. 19 is a view illustrating a modified arrangement for operating Fig. 20 is a detail transverse illustrating the device for registering the weight of the car bywhich the ship is adjusted for makingan ascent. Fig. 21 is a side elevation of the mechanism ofFig. 20. Fig. 22. is a longitudinal section of the weight measuring device, hereinafter. referred to as abalance. Fig. 23 is a transverse section drawn on the line 23 23 of Fig. 22.

A designates the upper buoyant section and B the lower or-car section of the ship. The upper section is constructed of two or moredouble conoidal or cigar shape floats C, each of which is constructed of a series of cylindrical rings D which form the ribs of the float. These ribs have their centers arranged in longitudinal alinement and they are so spaced'apart as toobtain a symmetrical structure. These ribs are held apart and in vertical position by light weight battens, or longitudinal brace rods E, which extend throughout the length of the float and are projected throu h openings formed adjacent to the outer e ges of the ribs and are connected to the ribs in any suitable manner and at their ends by bands or by wrapping the said ends with a light wire of great tensile strength. As shown in the drawings, four of these longitudinal braces are employed and these are arranged in the vertica and horizontal planes of the eenter of thefloat, although an additional number, than shown, may be employed if necessary.

Truss wires E connect the ribs at their inher edges throughout'the length of 'the'float and firmly brace them in osition and, with the longitudinal brace ro s, holdthern in a rigid upright position. The rings or rigs may be strengthened axially by an interlacing of wires or cords E which extend from the inner edgesto a disk E arranged centrally in each ring, as shown most clearly in Fig. 11.-

Eachrib is provided upon both sides adjacent to its out-er edge, with laterally extending, annular, outwardly bent flanges e which provide annular grooves in which are held the opposite ends of suitable fabric secdetached.

tions F F which formthe skin of the float.

.The fabric sections F arranged intermediate conoids and their inner ends are secured with-,

in the grooves formed upon the outer faces of the end rings ot-the floatand are secured in place in the samc way as the intermediate sections.

The floats are divided into a series of air and gas tight compartments by means of partitions or bulkheads-of fabric F which are secured to the skin sections in any suitable way." Thepu'rpose of forming the floats with a series of compartments is to prevent the collapse of the entire float shou d any portion thereof be punctured or otherwise inured in such way as to permit the escape. of the gas. The several compartments are mflated through valved tubes f projecting through and secured to the skin sections at the lower sides thereof. 'The partitions are arranged between the floats at the points of intersection of the truss wires E and the openings through whichthe wires pass are sealed by means of disks f of rubber or fabric and a suitable cement. The floats thus formed are held in parallel relation and to each other by light weight trusses G which are connected to the rib sections by means of clips 9 (Figs. 1, 2 3 and 11)carried at the ends of the truss rods and secured to the ribs by rivets; screws, or the like. The truss 'rods are=seci1rely braced by an interlacing of wire or coid, and suitable diagonally arranged brace wires 9 connect the ribs of one float with the ribs of the other float so as to provide a thoroughly rigid structure.

Arranged between the floats is a series of flat planes the areas of which are so proportioned one to the other as to give an equal resistance fore and aft of the center of gravity of the vessel and are designed to support the lower or car section of the shi when navigating under the influence of t e propeller I or when the ship is fallin ,due to the-sto page of the propeller, as wil be fully'exp ained later on. These planes comprise the front plane H which-extends from the forward.

constructed of 'a central body portion h, of

fabric and an outer frame of bamboo or light weight metal h to'which the edges of the fabric are connected. Suitable cross braces it connect the side members of'the frame and are connected to the fabric portion by strips 3 of canvas.- At the points of intersection of the side members and ribs'the said side members are securely fastened to the ribs by clips k thereby securely holding the plane in position.

At the extreme rear ends of the floats is arranged a plane H which is hinged at its forward end to a rod or bar It forming the rear frame member of an'intermediate plane H which extends from one float to the other from oints in the horizontal lane. of the axis 0 the floats. The plane 1 is raised or lowered by'means of .lines J and J respectively to act as a horizontal rudder to change the trim of the ship as will be hereinafter described. The lines J for raising the rudder operate over pulleys 7' carried by the floats, from which pulleys they, are extended .downwardly to the car section ofthe ship, and the lines J for lowering the planes are extended direct to the car section. The body portions of these lanes are also constructed of fabric. The p ane H is braced by cross rods hi? applied 'thereto by strips of canvas.

A skeg K is arranged end of each float, and skegs K are arranged above andbelow the axial'centers of each float at the rear end thereof, and these skeg's are designed to prevent the escape of the air 3.0 has trave ed the full'length of the structure.

contacting with the-planes when the ship is being'pro elled through the air until the an The body portions of these skegs are constructed of canvas 7c whose outer longitudinal'edges are connected tolight weight rods below the axial centers 0 the floats. To

their rear ends are attached tiller lines L by means ofwhich they are moved either to the right or left to steer or direct'the course of the ship. These lines are extended to the lower section of the ship and suitable guide ,ulley's Z are employed to guide the-lines and old them from contact with the horizontal rudder When the latter is operated. The rear ends of the rudders of each float are connected together, and the rudders of both floats are connected by a light weight rod L to cause them to move in unison when the line extending to the rudder of either float is operated. The body portions of the rudders are constructed of a suitable fabric Z and a light wei htskeleton frame Z to whichthe ends of t e fabric are connected. I

At the center of buoyancy and at the center of resistance when the ship is considered as under the forward The rear.

airs above and are connected to and supported by truss bars M extending from and connecting the ribs of the floats opposite ,the center of gravity of the upper section.

The propellerI is carried by a shaft If whose ends are journaled in collars m sup ported by wires 'm extending from the opposite edges of the ring M and between the endsof the shaft and the collars are inter osed anti-friction balls to reduce friction. hol low shaft I extends through the shaft I and connects the collars m Secured upon each side of the propeller is a double grooved pul-.

ley m each groove having a drive belt m operating therein and the belts from the pulleys are extended in opposite lateral directions through the hollow journals and thence to adrive pulley O of a motor 0 The intermediate lengths of the beltsafter passing around each grooved pulley extend 1n converging directions over guide pulleys m carried by the ring M thence around uidepul leys m journaled within the hol 0w trunnions and thence over guide pulleys 'm journaled in brackets carried by the vertically extending bars M to the drive pulley O of the motor 0 .The guide pulleys m journaled in the trunnions m are arranged within the axis of the, trunnion and the belts converge from the guide pulleys m towards the pulleys m which are grouped around the axis of the trunnion thereby concentrating the belts as near the axis of the ring as is possible to arrange them so that when the ringis swung upon its axis from a horizontal to a vertical position or vice versa or to any angle between these positions the shifting 'of the belts will be so slight at these points that they will always retain their frictional grip upon the pulleys.

The position andfmovement of the rin M are controlled by cords or wires M lea ing from the car or lower section, and secured to the sides of the ring at diametrically opposite points and operatin upon a segmental guide strip M carried by t e ring, and itvwill be undrstoo d that by drawing u on either cord the ring may-be adjusted to 0 range the angle of thrust of the propeller to give a direct upward lift to the ship, or a forward movement as may be required. A hollow. stub shaft M extends from the segmental strip M and projects into the hollow shaft I to further strengthen and retain it'in position.

Supporting cables -N depend from the l I lower sides of, the ribs of the floats and have their op osite ends connected to the lower section of the ship. This section is preferably in the form of a boat, and is located dithereby assists the planes to retard its rectly below the center of buoyancy and center of gravity of the.upper section and also below the center of resistance of the planes when theship is considered as a falling body. The car is designed for carrying the crew for manipulating the ship and also carries the motor 0 for operating the E ropeller as well as the fuel and parapherna 'a necessary in the operation of such devices. i

The car as shown is constructed of'a" hull C" which terminates at each end in a vertical hollow extension C in which are carried the fuel for the motor and also other commodities such as fresh water and food. The said hull is provided with fore and aft air-tight compartments C -C so as to add to the buoyancy of the structure should it alight in" a body of water. The tops or upper portions form the working platforms .of the car. The portions C of the sides of the car are constructed of canvas or other suitable material, and

proj ectfrom the sides of the hull proper in diverging directions and in converging directions from the center towards the bow and stern extensions and the extreme ends are,

connected to the extensions C as shown.

The-upper edges of the canvas sides are conto bamboo rods or strips C which wire screens 0* whoseupper ends are connected to parallel stringers C extendinglongitudinally from the forward tothe rearward susplending' wires N. Above the upper ends of t e screens is an inverted V shape canvas canopy'C" which is arra ed directly in the ath of the downward t rustof the wind 10111 the propeller whenthe latter is operating to raise t e ship and serves to deflect the wind and permit its escape with as little obstruction as possible without contacting with the deck of the .car. The canopy acts as a parachute when the ship is descending'and ownward movement and also acts as a plane to give'direction to the ship when under propulsion.

The up er edgeof the canopy is supported by a sing e'strand of wire C which extends lengthwise of the shipand is connected to the forward and rear supporting cables N, and-. its lower longitudina edges are connected to the parallel stringers C.'

ant portion of t In practice the car is made of sufiicien-t length to permit "the operators to change thelr position in a forward or aft direction so as to throw the center of ravity slightly forwardor aft of the norma center of the ship for the 'pu ose of giving'sorward or aft trim to direct t e ships course in an upward or downward-direction. Aid in-seffecti isuch m'mm'a be had by operating the horizontal rudder In order to su port the lower or non-buoyhe structure when it is restarm so as to ing on the ground, and also to regulate the position or trim of the ship prior to making an ascent and further to provide a cushioning' device to avoid severe shocks to the car and its occupants should the car come into violent contact with the earth when effecting a landing, dprovide a cushioning and wei ht measuring" evice which com uses the following parts: Near the forwar end of the car is arranged a shaft 1? Fig. 13, to the ends of which are connected the tines of a forked arm Q in the outer end of which is journaled a wheel Q having spikes arranged upon its peripher which are designed to penetrate the earth or the purpose hereafter stated. This wheel is provided with a ratchet wheel g which is engaged by a pawl g carried by the wheel in one irection only; the urpose of which will be apparent from .the escription of the operation of the ship.

To the extreme inner ends of arm Q are connected cables Q which extend over guide pulleys g located upon the sides of the hull and u 'andaround a drum R of a baldeck of the car. Adjacent to the rear end of the car is a similar shaft P to the ends of which are connected rearwardly extending arms-Q carryin .caster wheels Q at their extreme rear en s. To the forward ends of arm Q are connected cables Q which extend over guide pulleys g and have their oposite ends wound upon and connected to a drum R of the balance R. This balance is designed to take up the weight of the lower the brackets T so that as the drum is revolved by thedownward pull of the cables when the car is resting upon the ground, the

spring will be wound and its tension increased. Carried at each end of the shaft is an indicator hand 1' which operates round a graduated dial formed upon the ends of the casing of the balance.

The drum R is provided with a central hub and is loosely mounted upon the shaft S, and like the drum R, has one end of a spring 1" connected thereto whose op osite end is connected to the cross bar t o the bracket,

and operating over this drum are the cables ermit rotation of the spiked Q extending from the arms Q. The hub of the pulley R isextended through the casing and carries an indicator hand 1' which oper ates around the dial to register the weight of the fore end/of the car restin upon the ound; and in order to enable t e operator m the rear end of the car to ascertain the vided with anindicator hand 1.

amount of weight resting upon the forward wheels as-registered by the hand 1"", I provide the pulley R with a gear wheel U or a segmental rack section that is meshed by apinion it carried at one end of a shaft u jour-' naled in the casing of the balance and whose opposite end is provided with a pinion 11, of t e same dimension as the pinion u, which is meshed by a gear a of the same size as the gear-U and which is loosely mounted upon the shaft S The hub-of this gear of projects through the end of the casing and is proarrangement, it will be readily understood that the operator in each end of the car may readily ascertain the amount of weight at which the car is resting upon the groundand enables the operators to adjust the car so as to set it at the proper angle prior to starting the motor to make an ascent.

In practice the hands will be of different colors so that they may be readily distinguished.

The cables operating upon the drum R are rovided with turn buckles V by means of w ich their lengths may be increased or decreased so as to regulate the position of the ,car and likewise the angle of inclination of the regulation of the osition of t e machine "as a whole and for re ieving the shi of sudden shocks when 'effecting'a lan mg, but they also ermit of the-ad'ustment of the vessel so t at the. rear en will be swung around until the forward endfaces the. wind,- thereby facilitating its rise when the propellers are set in motion and of retaining this position until sufficient speed has been attained to make the ship sensitive to the movement of the rudders. When the vessel first-strikes the ground, and assuming it-does so with its broadside torthe wind, the spikes of the forward wheel'will penetrate the earth and the rear end of thes'hip will be swung around upon the roaster wheels until its forward end is directed towards the wind, the same as a ship at anchor, and when this position is reached the ship will be prevented from a sliding or,running movement byvirtue of the engagement of the pawl g and ratchet q. preventing the rotation of the front or spiked wheel, thus, in effect, anchoring the ship, This arrangement also permits the ship to change its position according to the direction of the'wind as it shifts from one quarter to another.

A propeller W, Figs. .3 and 13, is carried by the car section for propelling the ship through the water in the event of its makin adescent in such a body. The rope'ller sha t is geared to the motor 0 and as a clutch b which the operation of the shaft is control ed. In

By this I of them so that the rear wheels may be used as rudders and the ship steered throughany course. In the event of the ship descending in a body of water, which might occur through injury to its propeller or any of its operating parts, or by being blown out of its course, and inorder to permit of the proper adjustment of the ship to make an ascent, after repairs to such parts have been made, I- arrange gage glasses X in'the forward and, after'compartments of the boat which will show the approximate buoyancy ofthe latter and register the amount of force necessary I 'to lift the ship.

sirable, a greater number of rods may be'employed than shown in the drawings in order to hold the ribs perfectly rigid until'the entire structure has been completed,- after i:

which as many as desirable maybe removed in order to decrease the Wei ht of, the float without decreasing itsstrengt When both i ioats have been thus constructed they. are connected together by the truss, rods, the aeroplanes are then arranged-in position as before. described and the. lower or-car section connected thereto by the suspensioncables, The floats are then inflated with a gas that is sufliciently buoyant to oat the entire 11 er section and cause it to exert a slight li ting force upon the lower or car section, although they may be made of'sufficient capacity to hold enough gas to-float the entire-structure,

including the passengers and stores. Butl prefer to make them of only sufficient buoyancye to lift themselves together with the planes, ropellers, and steering mechanism; which ower lifting machines, for the reason that if its lifting force should be stopped in mid:

air the structure would fall, owin to the weight of the lower section exceeding-the lighter than "the atnios here until they are consider is essential in all purely buoyancy of the up er section. By'con- V structing the'planes o sufiicient area, agradwual descent Wlll. be made without liability to injury to the occupants or the car itself when coming in contact with the ground, and injury will be further safe-guarded against by l the cushionin devices as previously. described. It w I therefore be seen that with sufficient power, buoyancy is not. anabsolute essential to such a craft as herein described,

:and if, through the-sto pageof its machinery and consequent loss 0 power to select a position to alight when a descent is being made, the car should strike the edge of a building, or tree or mountain, and thereby be tempo rarily retarded in its descent, and thrown out of its true position, it wquld right itself the moment it slipped. from the obstruction or swing itself as a pendulum owing to the location of the center ofgravity, so that the descent would be continued in such a position that the planes and the structure. itself ofi'er suflicient resistanceto permit a gradual descent and thereby prevent/injuryw to either the car or the occupants- Should a similar accident occur to a ship in which the aeroplanes alone were depended upon to keep the ship afloat when propelled through the air,

the planes would of necessity turn edgewise the moment they encountered an obstruction, in which position they would immediately lose their influence and the whole structure would fall through the air with great rapidity and with little prospectsof its safety or the safety of the occupants.

In making an ascent with a ship con.- structed in accordance with my invention, the floats are first inflated and'the car and u per structure adjusted to the propenangle, w ch, of course, has been determined through experiments, so as to maintains, forward direction without any considerable variation in height, the propeller is then" started to give a direct downward thrust of the air to cause the shi to rise vertically or as nearly so as may be desired or permissible owing to the space from which the ascent is being made, and after a certain height has been reached, the pro )el ler is then set to the proper angle to ive t e' ship a forward motion, and the inc ination of the planes is also set at the same time, so that in cooperation with the propeller the force of gravity is overcome. The ship may thus be propelled over a given course-either in a horizontal direction or at a slightly increasing rise,

which direction is controlled by the vertical rudders andthe angle of the planes ,com-

bined; with the angle of thrust of the, proeller. It will be understood that by changing the position of the propeller to direct the thrust of the air directly downwardly or rearwardly, theship will be caused to travel accordingly. Should, however, it be desired to rise rapidly to agreater height, the horizontal ruddermmay be adjusted and the occupantsof the car may shift their position toward the aft partof the ship so as to incline the zup er structure and thus change the center 0 gravit of the ship, which will further incline the p anes and producev a more extensiveupward and forward movement.

' From the foregoing the advantages of my invention over similar devices will be readily a parent, and it-will be further understood t at 'b constructing an air-ship with an upper 'uoyantsect on and low center of.

I the w InFig. 19 of the drawings I also show a.

gravity no difficulty will be ex erienced in maintaining the proper trim of t e ship, and

by the employment of the upper buoyant section, which is relied upon to maintain the proper trim unless thrown out of such position by the propeller or rudders, a-gradual andsafe descent will be made should'any of ing cables, and other minor details of (on struction, as thesemay be changed without departing from the scope of the invention. For example in Fig. 4 of the drawings is illustrated a modified ground, and this consists in )ivoting an arm Y to the shaft of the fOIWflIt wheel which is designed to penetrate the ground when the ship is moved rearwardly. The end of the arm is the cart and its movement is limited by the cable or chain Y which is connected at one end near the outer end of the arm Y and at its opposite end to the supporting arm Q of ice slightly different arrangement for operating the pro eller, and this consists in providing the sha t of the motor with a gear Z, that is meshed by a pinionfZ carried at the lower end of the shaft Z whose u per end terminates in a hollow sleeve in'w ch is slidin that is connected to the shaft of the pro eller by a knuckle joint Z Thesection Z orms a continuation of the shaft section Z and is revented from rotation in the sleeve/0f the atter section by a feather and spline connection. The lower end of the section Z is connected to the shaft of the motor by, an arm Z which permits the oscillation of the upper end of, the shaftdue-to the swinging position of the outer end of the propeller-shaft when the ropeller is shifted to direct the thrust of wind from the propeller at any particular angklle according to the direction to be given the s 1 l 1 I 11 order to increase the buoyancy of the lower or car section when the latter is resting upon abody of water, the wheels Q and, Q are made hollow, sothat they will float upon the water and have a tendency'to elevate the outer ends of the arms, therebyincreasing the buoyancy of the car section, but in orderto clear the wheels and especially the front Wheel Qfrom the water so as to decrease the frictional surface, to enable the ship to run arrangement for anchoring the ship when on the surface of the ointed in order to easily penetratev retained the lower end of a shaft section rapidly over the surface, I rovide .cables W 12 which connect the outer en s of the arms and extend to the ends of thecar section 4 When the ship is operating upon the surface, the

, clutch operating the propeller W is thrown into engagement with the pinion carried by the end of the propeller shaft and the latter thereby g'eared direct to the motor that openried .by'. the upper section, a propeller ar-.

ranged at the center of buoyancy of the said upper section, and means for operating the propeller.

2. An air-shi comprising an upper buoy ant section, an a car section suspended from theupper'buoyant section and arran ed belowthe center of buoyancy of the sai upper section, aeroplanes carried by the upper'section, a propeller arranged at the center. of buoyancy of the upper section, and means for operating the propeller.

3. An air-ship, comprising an upper buoy-. ant section, and a lower car section suspendedfrom the upper section below the center of buoyancy of the said-upper section, apropeller carried by and arranged at the center" of buo ancyof the upper section,aeroplanes carrie by the upper section and which are adapted to sup ort the lower section when the, propeller is 1n motion," and means for op erating the propeller.

4. An air-ship, comprising an upper buoy-- ant section, a car suspended therefrom and arran ed below the. center of buoyanc of the sai upper section, aero lanes carrie by the upper section, a. prope ler arranged at. the 2 center of buoyancy of the up er section, skegs arranged adjacentto the ongitudinal edges of the aeroplanes and adapted to'.prevent lateral deflection ofthe air-whenthe ship is navigating, and means for operating the propeller.

5. An air-ship, comprising an upper buoy v ant section, aero lanes carried thereby, a'

propeller arrang at the center of buoyancy. of the. upper'section, and a car sus ended from the upper section and arrange below the center of buoyancy of said upper section I jacent to the longitudinal'edges of the aero and below the center offalling resistance.

6. In an air-ship,- an upper buoyant sec- .tion, comprising two elongated floats, aeroplanes arranged between and'extending from the floats in the horizontal lane. of the cenarranged between and extending tersthereof, a propeller. carried by the upper section, a'car'susp'ended from the u per section below the center'of buoyancy o the said section, and a combined weight measuring and cushioning device carried by the car.

. 7. In an air-ship,,'an upper buoyant sec-. tion, com rising two elongatedfloats spaced apart and eld in parallel position, aeroplanes from the floats in the horizontal plane of the centers 1 thereof, a propeller'carried bythe upper sec' tion at the center of buoyancy thereof, "a car suspended from theupper section belowthe eats', vertically 'arran e sk ancy t center of buoyancy of the said section, and a combined weight measuring and cushionmg.

device carried by the car.

8. In anair-ship, an upper buoyantsec tion, comprising two elongated floats, aero-' planes arrange between the floats, mean's for holding the floats together in parallel osition, skegs arranged under ,the'lower or- Ward ends of the floats, skegs' arranged-at the rear ends and upon the upper and lower sides of the floats in thevertica planes of the centers of the floats, a pro eller arranged at the center of buoyancy of t e upper section, and a car suspended from the upper section below the center of buoyancy thereof..

- 1 9. In an air-shi ,an upperbuo'yant section, comprising e ongated double conoidal floats, aero lanes arranged between the floats, truss ars connecting the floats, skegs arranged adjacent to the aeroplanes to pre- 35 vent-alatera'l deflection of the air contacting. I with the aero lanes,'a propeller arrangedat the centerof uoyancy of the upper sectiop, and a car suspended fromthe upper section below the center ofb'uoyaney thereof;

tion, mmp'rifsin jeld eted? eats-adaptedro holding a gastati-isi ighter than sthe';atmosghe'reg aeroplanesF'arran d- 'rbet Ween the Y fcarried. by the floats adiacent-fto-t e long tudinaledges er cal ruddersarrangedaddjsio the skegs at the ropgglerarranged e"said upper section, and edjfrom'the said upperrsec' center of buoyancy thereoff '11. 'In'an sh p, annlpper section, come prisingplongated paralle y arranged floats containing a gas that is-lighter than the atmos here, anaenfiplane arranged atthe for war ends of the oats,-an aeroplane hinged adjacent to :therear ends and adapted .to

serve as ahorizontal' rudder, a fixed aero-' plane adj acent to the forward end of the said rear aeroplane, skegscarried by the floats adplanes', vertical rudders arranged at the ends of the s'kegs at the rear ends of the floats, '115 means for controlling the'position of the vertical rudders, and a car suspended from the said upper section below the center of buoy-.

ere'ofl 12. In an air-shipyan u tion, eomprisin elongate upper section at. t e center of of, 'skegs carried by the floats in the vertical ,upona body of water.

plane. arranged at the forward ends thereof, an aeroplane hingedly supported adjacent the floats into a series of compartments thereof, means for controlling the position of I the propeller, a car suspended from the upper section below the center of buoyancy thereof, and cushioning devices carried by the car.

13. In an air-ship, an u per buoyant section, comprisin elongate floats containing a as that is llghter than the atmosphere, bu kheads arranged in the floats to provide a series ofgas-tight com artments, aeroplanes arranged between the oats lengthwise thereplanes of the centers thereof, rudders arranged t the ends of the skegs at the rear ends oft e floats, a ropeller arran ed in the uoyancy thereof, means for controlling the position of the propeller, a car'suspended from the upper section below the-center of buoyancy thereof, means for registering the weight of the car when the latter i,resting upon the ground,and means for ascertaining the weight of the car when the latter is resting 14. In-an air-shi an upper buoyant section,ycomprising eongate double-conoidal floats,:a-rrang'ed in parallel position, an aeroto the rear ends of the floats, a fixed aeroplane at the forward end of the said hinged aeroplane, skegs carried by the floats, vertical rudders arranged at the ends of the skegs at the rear ends of the floats, means for controlling-the position of the bin edaeroplane, means for controlling the osit onof the rud-' days, a propeller journale' in the u per section, means for operating the prope er to directthe thrust of air therefrom in a direct downward position, rearwardly, or at an anle intermediate the vertical and rearward direction of thrust, a car suspended from the upper section below the center ofbuoyancy thereof, and a combined'wei ht'measuring and cushioning device carried y the car.

15. In an air-ship, an up er buoyant sec tion comprising elongated oats arranged in parallel position, truss bars connecting the oats, aeroplanes arranged between the floats, truss bars connectm the floats and extending therefrom from points adjacent to the centers of ravity o the flo ts, bars supporting journaI bearings connec' ing the last mentioned truss bars, a ring journaled in the bearings, a propeller'carried by the ring, a car suspended from the upper section below the center ,of buoyancy thereof, a a 1110- tor carried b the car, means for transmittin motion romthemotor to the said propel er, and means forcontrolling the position of the said ring. v 16.- In an airship, an upper buoyant section,- comprising elongated floats, partitions or biilkheads arranged therein which divide the truss planes, vertical rudders arranged adj acent to the skegs at the rear ends of the floats, means for operating. the rudders, an aeroplane arranged horizontally between the floats adj acent to the rear ends thereof and adapted to serve as a rudder, means for operating said aeroplane as a horizontal'rudder, trussbars connecting) the floats, a ring su ported by ars projecting from t e floats at points opposite the center of gravity thereof, a prope ler carried by the ring,'a car sus-' pended from the floats below the center of uoyancy thereof, a motor carried by the car, drivin belts connectin the motor and the propeller, and guide puIleys for the belts. 17 In an air-ship, an upper buoyant section, comprising longitudinally arranged floats containing a gas that is li hter than betweenthe atmosphere, aeroplanes hel the'floats, an aero lane hinged adjacent to the rear ends of tfie floats and adapted to form a horizontal rudder, skegs carried by the. floats, vertical rudders at the ends of the skegs at the rear ends of the floats, truss bars connecting the floats, journalbearings supported'by the truss bars projecting from the floats at points adjacent to the centers of gravity thereof, a ring, having hollow trunnions journaled in the bearings, a propeller carried b the ring, belt. ulleys carried by the prope er, a car sus en ed from the upper section, a motor carrie by the car and havlng 'a drive pulley, belts openatin over the drive pulley and extending throug the trunnions and around the pulleys of the propeller, guide 'p11lleys arranged in the said trunnions, and guide pulleys adjacent to the pulleys'in the said/trunnions.

18. In an air-ship, an u per section com prising elongated floats eac of which is constructed of a series ofribs whose centers are arranged in longitudinal alinement, fabric sections connecting the ribs to provide gas tight sections, longitudinally arran ed bat tens or brace rods connecting the ri s of the floats exteriorly' of the fabric sections, truss wires connecting the ribs insideof the fabric sections, truss bars connecting the floats to hold them in parallel position, aeroplanes arranged between the floats, skegs carried by the floats adjacent to the longitudinal edges of the aeroplanes, a pro eller arranged at the center of buoyancy of't e said up er section, and a car suspended from the sa1 upper section below the center of buoyancy thereof,

. 19-: In an air-shi a buoyant section, comprising elongated oats each of which is constructed of aseries of ribs having laterally projectin annular, ooved fla es adjacent to t elr. outer e ges, fabric seeve sections arranged intermediate the adjacent faces of the ribs and having their'ends secured to said grooved flanges, cone shaped fabric.

sections forming the ends of the'floats and having their inner ends secured to the rooved flanges of the end ribs of the floats, attens or brace rods connecting the ribs of each float exteriorly of the sleeve sections, truss wires connecting the ribs interiorly of the sleeve sections, truss bars connecting the floats to hold them in parallel position, aeroplanes arranged between the floats, a car suspended from the upper section below the center of buoyancy thereof, and a combined cushioning and weight measuring device carried by the car.

20. An air ship, comprising an upper buoyant, section, a car section suspended from the upper buoyant section below the center of buoyancy thereof, aeroplanes carried by the upper section, a propellerarranged at the center of buoyancyof the said upper section, means carried by the car section for operating the propeller, arms journaled intermediate their ends to the car section, wheels carried at the outer ends of the arms, and a balance connecting the inner ends of the arms which is adapted to register the weight of the said lower section to facilitate the adjustment of the-ship prior to making an ascent.

21. An air -ship, comprising an upper buoyant section, a car section suspended :from the upper section below the center of buoyancy thereof, aeroplanes carried by the upper section, a propeller arranged at the center of buoyancy of the said upper section,

means carried by the lower section for operating the propeller, a combined cushioning and weight measuring device carriedby the car section, which comprises arms pivotally held intermediate their lengths to the ends of the car, a balance carried by the car, cables extendingfrom the balance to thezinner end of the arms, and buoyant wheels carried at the outer ends of the arms.

22. An air ship, comprising an upper buoyant section, a car section suspended from. the upper section below the center of buoyancy thereof, aero lanes carried by the upper section, a propel er carried by the upper section, means carried by the lower section for operating the ropeller, an armpivoted intermediate its ength to the forward end of the car, a wheel journaled in the outer end of the arm which is adapted to rotatein one direction only, arms pivoted interme diate their lengths to the rear end of the car, caster wheels carried at the outer ends of the arms, a balance carried by the car,'and cables extending from the balance and connected to the inner ends of all of the aforesaid arms.

23. 'An air ship, comprising an upper buoyant section, a car suspended from the upper section below the center of buoyancy thereof, aero lanes carried by the upper section, a prope ler adjustably held at the center of buoyancy of the said upper section, means carried by the lower section for operating the propeller, and a canopy arranged above the car for the purpose specified.

24. In an air-ship, an upper buoyant secant section, a propeller arranged at the center of buoyancy of the said section, a car suspended from the said section below the center of buoyancy, and a gable-shaped canopy arranged above. the car in the path of the downward thrust of the propeller.

25. A float for an air-ship of the kind de- .tion, aeroplanes carried by the upper buoyscribed, constructed of a plurality of rings or ribs v each of which is provided upon its opposite sides with annular flanges having peripheral grooves, sleeve sections arranged etween the intermediate rings or ribs and having their ends securely held within the grooves to provide gas-tight joints, coneshaped sections forming the ends of the float and-having their inner ends connected to the flanges of those rings or ribs which are arranged at the ends of the floats, longitudinal battens connectingthe rings or ribs, truss wires connecting the rings orribs, partit-ions arranged in the float to provide a series of compartments, and valved tubes connected' to the sleeves through which the compartments may be inflated.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of December A. DJ

SIMON LAKE. 

